Chapter 27: Chapter 27

Mark had set up the same way he did when he proposed to me the first time but more. The floor was grassed with the words, 'Please forgive me'. I also noticed instrumentalists waiting a few meters away. There were garden lights heart-shaped lights in the trees. They looked like enchanted fruits. I always heard that the most beautiful place was heaven. If that's true, then this place showed heaven on earth.

What the heck! This isn't a romantic dinner. What is he planning to do? I thought. This isn't what I perceived and I suddenly felt uncomfortable so I decided to leave instantly. I turned around but a strong hand pulled me back making my head bump into a hard chest of other than Mr. Mark Snowman. He was dressed formally in a tuxedo with a red bow tie. I must admit he looked too handsome. I could look at him the whole day.

I stared into his crystal blue eyes for a long time. I think time must have paused because I didn't keep track of the amount of time I spent just staring at him. The instrumentalists played a soft tune and I was completely lost in the moment. I suddenly forgot all the pain I once felt towards him. Everything was just perfect. Wait. Did I die and go to heaven? Because in the real world, there was too much at stake.

"Please let me explain", he said looking deeply into my eyes. It was as if a magnet was pulling us together. Our lips almost touched which brought me back to my senses.

Snap out of it, Maya, he is a married man, I thought.

Okay, I will hear you out. But don't think it's going to change anything.

"Thank you because you hearing me out is more than enough for me". He said pulling a chair for me. He looked so perfect. I wish I could wake up and realize I had a bad dream in which he got married but it was real. My Prince charming got married to another. I kept having these hard thoughts when he poured me a glass of wine and poured some for himself. His way of doing everything was just making me fall more and more in love with him.

We were supposed to be together. It was meant to be us. What happened. I was ready to hear his explanation but it wasn't as if it was going to change anything. The guy is married and I will not be foolish to break another woman's home no matter the reason. Marriage to me is a divine bond. It goes beyond the physical.

"Maya, I never lied to you about my feelings. I did not get married to Tilda because I love her. It was merely a contract." He blurted out the words like it was nothing. How can marriage be just a contract? I am not thirteen anymore. I am twenty-three years for God's sake.

I continued listening to him in silence. I thought of letting him say everything he wants.

"I know you might think that I am crazy but trust me, I am not. This marriage is only a contract to fulfill our family's demands so it will be over in two years." He chuckled.

Okay. First I thought he was insane but now, he has lost it. I know stories about fake marriages in which the couples fall in love in the long run. Hello. Are they out of their mind? I am not playing this game but I will like to know more so I decided to play dumb and ask every question on my mind.

So what if Tilda doesn't give you the divorce after two years?

"She will, but she might not even have to." His face tightened to a frown when he said that. It was more of a saddened emotion and I couldn't understand why the question affected him this much.

His face became dark all of a sudden when he continued to speak.

"I am sorry Maya but I can't tell you more about Tilda". I was hurt by those words. After all the pain, I think I deserve a clear explanation right, but he was being evasive. I couldn't push him to talk about it further so I tried as much as possible to oust the thought out of my mind.

"So what do you want from me? I asked trying my best to hide my disappointment.

He cleared his throat before speaking.

"I want you to wait for me for two years. After two years, you are free to do whatever you want. I know that you loved me Maya, and I know you still do. Please give me two years to make things right for us." He said in a pleading tone.

Two years? I thought. I know I made my life plans around my career. I never planned for the time and age I want to get married but I just wasn't ready to go through the pain I felt before.

Can I ask you a question? He nodded in the affirmative.

Why didn't you tell me all this before getting married?

"I wanted to tell you but Tilda insisted it might make people know our real intentions because she knew once you knew, Tom and Tracy will also know, and three kinds of becomes a crowd so a secret is best kept between two people." He said.

Well, I would have appreciated it more if you had even broken up with me before you got married even if it meant holding back your reasons. But honestly Mark, I moved on. I am happy with Tom. I said after serious thought. I knew I lied about moving on but right now, I was ready to do anything to get him off my back.

"Do you still love me?" He asked staring straight into my eyes. I can't lie when he is looking at me like that so I avoided the question.

That is not important. You are married to someone even though you don't love her. So why can't I do the same? Who knows, I might grow to love him more, I  mocked. But there was so much pain visible on his face when I said that, which made me instantly regret uttering those words but I couldn't care less. He is the reason why we are in this situation in the first place.

"But I told you that my marriage is fake." He said with pain and uneasiness.

Fake in your heart but genuine on paper. There is a legal document showing you are married, Mark. I won't spend another day thinking that I have a chance with you when I know that you are legally bound to another.

"Okay. If it's hard for you, can we be friends? I promise I won't harass you or anything." He said with a smile. It was tempting to be friends but I knew it will only bring more hurt to me.

You know what Mark when you love someone, you can't be just friends with them. I said sadly.

"So what are we now?" He asked with a glint of hope.

Nothing. I replied with a straight face.

Mark's POV

I knew I hurt Maya so much. But I was hoping she will understand my explanation. Little did I know the depth of my decision. I couldn't stand to lose her but she won't barge too. I was so frustrated. Thinking deeply about it, she has every right to be angry with me but I know that very soon, she will understand that I never took her love for granted and that she is the only woman I love.

I couldn't also tell her about my reason for giving in to Tilda's plan. I wish she could trust me again. But how could she forgive Tom and Tracy and not forgive me? They betrayed her. But I thought of one thing. If she wasn't willingly going to wait for me, I will find a different way of making her wait.

I am Mark Snowman. I have never lost anything and I will not lose the love of my life.  Right now, she tells me that we have nothing but I know it's not true. In her eyes, I see the pure unadulterated love but she won't give me a second chance.

"Nothing? I asked in shock. Tom and Tracy betrayed you. I caught them in a passionate kiss and when I told you about it, you were upset but you quickly got over it and moved on.  You are still planning to get engaged to him and I am here begging to even be friends with you and you want nothing to do with me? I think I was yelling because she was taken aback.

"Look, Mark, don't turn this around. Yes. It's easy for me to forgive them because I have faced the worst form of betrayal. At least they didn't do it in front of me, which means they respect me. But you, what did you do? You won't even pick my calls or respond to my text messages. Then you send me an ugly black dress threatening my life and that of Tracy with a note. Then you couldn't even keep your promise of taking me to the party and when I find my way there, I only realize that you are getting engaged to Tilda.

You should have killed me, Mark, you should have killed me that shattering my heart to pieces. I don't have any more love or regrets left. They died on that day. But I survived. I never thought I will make it but I survived. And assuming I wasn't able to come out alive, you would have had your happily ever after with Tilda right? After all, you had no objection to marrying her. I was the only obstacle. But now, you are free so just leave me to my misery." She yelled but broke into tears.